Portfolio Overview - Thomas

In your portfolio, you will present your writing and some related documents to demonstrate what you have learned about expository writing for particular contexts, about a subject, and/or using the methods of the humanities. All that labor invested in analysis up to this point in the semester will now pay off! This overview briefly explains what you will include in and with the final portfolio.

Annotated bibliography. Sources consulted and used both in your pieces
and in your context analyses (10 minimum). Include all sources:
interviews, library research, Web sources. Use MLA style for the citations.
Annotations will include a 1-2 sentence summary of the piece and 1-2 sentence
notation about its usefulness to you. Put a * by each entry actually used as a
source for your pieces.

Cover sheet. A detailed analysis of the context (purpose/audience/subject/author) for each piece, an explanation of how
contextual factors influenced particular choices you made in writing each piece,
and a brief comparison/contrast of your pieces.

Postscript. Your answers to a few questions about your writing process
and the questions you would like answered by my comments.

Grading Criteria. A list of the criteria against which your finished
pieces should be evaluated. We will establish a general set of criteria as a
class and then you will negotiate specific criteria relevant to the contexts in
which you are writing.

Finished Pieces of Writing. You will submit twelve to fifteen pages of
finished, polished expository writing directed at particular audiences which
focuses on the humanities in form and content. These finished pages must include
at least two separate pieces. Each piece must differ in its context in some
significant way (audience/purpose). Up to 4 pages may be comprised of all or
part of a paper written to fulfill an assignment in another class. Graphics,
photographs, and/or artwork certainly may be submitted with your writing to
enhance its presentation, but these will not be evaluated and will not count
toward the total of finished pages.

All of the above must be typed in the standard format (1 inch margins,
double-spaced, readable font). Label each piece and submit the lot in a pocket
folder. (This is your chance to buy that snappy folder you've had your eye
on!)

Supplementary materials. Prepare a folder (I'd suggest an expandable one)
with photocopies of sources, context analyses, drafts, workshops, notes,
scribbles, etc. I reserve the right to ask to see this folder as I grade your
portfolio, so be prepared to give it to me upon request during the last two
weeks of the semester. I may, in fact, ask you to bring the folder to class
during the last week so that I can assess it for participation points. I
recommend using this folder from the earliest stages of research to keep
yourself somewhat organized throughout the process.